A Guide To Travelling Australia For Those On A Budget Or Wanting Luxury For Their Vacation

Australia can be a fantastic destination for a long needed vacation. With it's beaches, expansive national parks and snow fields for starters, Australia can be enjoyed by anyone. And with a few tips it may be made even more enjoyable and remembered for all the right reasons.

To visit Australia is to travel, with thousands of kilometres between capital cities, the journey really is half the experience. Through knowing the ins and outs the experience is sure to be a  much more enjoyable one.  

With the somewhat recent introduction of cheaper airlines, i.e Virgin Blue, air travel in Australia is becoming more affordable. A flight from Melbourne to Adelaide for example may be as cheap as $69 on off peak periods such as mid week. Standards and safety with Australian airlines are amongst the best in the world.

Australia has adequate rail lines. Though for such a large country they could be more expansive and faster. Current improvements to rail lines along the eastern states is addressing this issue. That said rail travel is an affordable option if you are simply interested in getting from one place to another without care for the places in between. 

If you hold an International Driving Permit, attainable from your local motoring body, you can hire and drive a car in Australia.  In some cases, such as those holding a UK license, you can drive on your UK license for up to 12 months as a visitor. Car hire is common in Australia, with online booking you can have a car waiting at the airport ready for you, with next to no fuss.  

Travelling by bus is often the cheapest option. Though can be time consuming and limiting as you can’t choose when and where you want to stop. 

The Australian dollar makes it a great place to holiday while remaining in an English speaking country, well mostly English...

For current exchange rate visit Exchange rate

Tipping in Australia is not the norm. Most Australians do not tip. Tipping at restaurants is not mandatory, but appreciated, especially if the meal and service was enjoyable.  The minimum wage in Australia is around $14.30 an hour, so whilst tipping is appreciated, it is not necessarily the main earner for those in hospitality.    Most tipping in Australia is simply situational, the tipping of a few cents here and there when a few cents change is easier left then taken. “Keep the change”.  

While fast food is available in the form of the usual burger joints. A much more satisfying and healthy alternative is to hunt out a local haunt.  For example when travelling from Sydney to Melbourne, take a five minute detour down the main street of Albury and try one of the many affordable cafes. The best coffee in the area can be had at the “Green Zebra”. Or detour through the historic Beechworth and stop by the bakery, while there check out the local tales of Ned Kelly and his infamous bushrangers.  Once in any capital city, you will surrounded by quality cafes and restaurants. Food in Australia is very affordable, with superior quality meats, seafood and fresh produce.  

I hope this information proves useful for those thinking of travelling to Australia.

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